Emotional harm from disrespect: the neglected preventable harm
Lauge Sokol-Hessner, Patricia Henry Folcarelli & Kenneth E F Sands 2015
To date, the patient safety movement has focused primarily on physical injury, but definitions of harm in healthcare are much broader: any ‘outcome that negatively affects the patient’s health and/or quality of life’. Download here.
The Consumers Health Forum The Real People Real Data Toolkit
The Consumers Health Forum: The Real People Real Data Toolkit
Bringing consumer experience to evidence-based decision-making. Collecting, analysing and using consumer stories to improve healthcare. This tool-kit provides straightforward advice for health services, policy makers and consumer organisations that want to gather, analyse and use consumer stories to guide their strategic decision-making. It aims to assist organisations to use this often-overlooked evidence base to ensure our health system delivers consumer-centred care. Download here
Escape Fire: Lessons for the Future of Health Care
Donald M. Berwick MD (1999) The Commonwealth Fund, New York
This US paper is based on an address at an Institute of Healthcare Improvement’s National Forum. It applies the lessons learned in a firefighting catastrophe in 1949 to the health care system – and points to its own strategies to create an “escape fire” for the system through access, science and relationships. Download here.
Identification of doctors at risk of recurrent complaints: a national study of healthcare complaints in Australia
Marie M Bismark, Matthew J Spittal, Lyle C Gurrin, Michael Ward, David M Studdert. University of Mebourne, Uvniversity of Queensland, January 2013
This research paper examines the distribution of patient complaints across Australia and identifies characteristics of doctors at risk of incurring recurrent complaints. It concludes that a small number of doctors account for half of all patient complaints, and offers an approach to identify high-risk doctors. Download here.
Patient Complaints in healthcare systems: a systematic review and coding taxonomy
Tom W Reader, Alex Gillespie, Jane Roberts (May 2014) London School of Economics
Patient complaints are a good way of monitoring and improving patient safety. This paper examines 59 patient complaint studies, and develops a standardised way of coding complaint data for analysis. Download here.
Managing Unreasonable Complainant Conduct
Practice Manual, 2nd Edition (May 2012), NSW Ombudsman
An ongoing and real problem for not only Australian Public sector agencies, but organisations world wide, this manual provides an extensive range of strategies for dealing with unreasonable complainant conduct. Download here.
USEFUL LINKS
National
Federal Government Department of Health
Australian Council of Healthcare Standards
ACT
New South Wales
Health Care Complaints Commission
Northern Territory
Health and Community Services Complaints Commission
Queensland
Office of the Health Ombudsman
South Australia
Tasmania
Department of Health and Human Services
Victoria
Health Complaints Commissioner
Victoria Mental Health Services